In a season of upsets, more trap games loom in league play

Certainly not former No. 1 Folsom, which was upended by Sacramento 32-27 on Sept. 16, or previous No. 2 Elk Grove, shocked 16-14 by a winless but proud Davis team on Chris Johnson’s last-second 28-yard field goal last week.

So who’s ripe for a shocker this week?

Top-ranked Del Oro visits Nevada Union, where the Miners nearly upset No. 3 Rocklin last week in a Sierra Foothill League opener. One-win Granite Bay can salvage its season with a win at No. 5 Folsom in SFL play. Davis awaits No. 7 Jesuit in the Delta League, Oakmont hosts No. 8 Antelope in the Capital Valley Conference, and Pleasant Grove, which pushed Jesuit last week, braces for No. 13 Monterey Trail in the Delta.

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No. 2 Grant (4-0) vs. No. 6 Elk Grove (3-1)

When: Friday at Elk Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Outlook: The Thundering Herd is eager to hit the field after stalling at Davis. Elk Grove coaches praised Davis’ effort and challenged their own players to up their games, and there isn’t a Thundering Herd player who doesn’t expect to beat Grant. The Pacers are rolling, and they can decimate teams with the pass or run. Cam Davis passed for 347 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-0 rout of Franklin, hitting Lawrence Hardy for three long touchdowns. Tyree Marcelle has had rushing games of 202 and 282 yards and has run for eight touchdowns. Jayden Machado (639 passing yards, 10 touchdowns) and Zion Thomas (359 rushing yards, four scores) lead Elk Grove, which had just six offensive possessions against Davis.

No. 7 Jesuit (3-1) vs. Davis (1-3)

When: Friday at Davis, 7:15 p.m.

Outlook: Jesuit is wary of the Blue Devils after Davis delivered a statement performance against Elk Grove. Davis understands it needs more wins to back the upset, or the significance fades quickly. Jesuit is balanced with Calvin Brownholtz (509 passing yards, seven touchdowns) and the 1-2 running back duo of Lorenzo Burkes (491 yards, five TDs) and Isaiah Rutherford (273, two TDs). Davis, which seeks its first playoff berth since 2007 and second in 17 seasons, is led by Ismael Perez (621 rushing yards, four TDs) and Stanford-bound tight end Tucker Fisk.

No. 8 Antelope (4-0) vs. Oakmont (3-1)

When: Friday in Roseville, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: The Capital Valley Conference has must-win games every week, and Oakmont is prime to succeed here and be ranked by The Bee for the first time in years. The task is slowing down Antelope’s Nick Spagnola (869 passing yards, five TDs) and Elijah Dotson (688 rushing yards, nine TDs). Oakmont counters with Jake Knapp (396 passing yards, five TDs) and a committee of running backs who have squeezed out the tight games.

No. 12 Sheldon (4-0) vs. No. 14 Franklin (3-1)

When: Friday at Cosumnes Oaks, 7:15 p.m.

Outlook: Sheldon is coming off a stirring 27-22 triumph over Monterey Trail, and Franklin is rubbing out the welts from a 56-0 loss at Grant. Quarterback Chancellor La Chapelle has passed for 694 yards and seven TDs for Sheldon, and he has three good backs to work with in Graylon Lindsey (432 yards, seven TDs), Vonathan Allen (292, five) and Alex Cook (159, two). Franklin knows it’s better than the team that was blasted at Grant and can prove it here. Nico Regino has passed for 376 yards and six touchdowns, and the Wildcats have scored 13 rushing TDs. Defensive leader Kaderro Tamondong, a linebacker, will will need help from a secondary that was taken to task last week.

No. 20 Bear River (2-2) vs. Sutter (4-0)

When: Friday at Sutter, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: Sutter, a Northern Section small-school powerhouse for years, is rolling again, including a 35-13 victory over a Marysville team that beat Bear River 21-14. Tyler Reynolds has passed for 672 yards and six touchdowns, and the Huskies average 432.0 rushing yards, including 190.5 a game by Trever Facey and 115.8 from Bryce Kunkle. Bear River counters with running back Austin Baze, also a linebacker, and quarterback Bradley Dzioba. Bear River beat previously undefeated El Dorado 28-7 last week.

The Bee’s print edition will feature expanded coverage every Sunday, including insight from Joe Davidson, highlights of the top weekend games, how The Bee’s Top 20 fared, scores and more. Can’t wait until Sunday? Go to sacbee.com after the games on Friday nights for highlights, scores, photo galleries and more.

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The Bee’s Davidson will be at Elk Grove High School on Friday as the No. 6 Thundering Herd hosts the No. 2 Grant Pacers.

Photo galleries

Bee photographers will be at No. 2 Grant at No. 6 Elk Grove, and No. 8 Antelope at Oakmont in Roseville on Friday night. sacbee.com/high-school

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About This Blog

Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. He's an award-winning authority on high school sports, specializing in going behind the scenes to report on what makes teams and athletes unique. Though Davidson has been accused of being a graduate of Del Oro, De La Salle, Elk Grove, Franklin, Grant, Granite Bay, Jesuit, Oak Ridge, Rocklin, St. Francis and many other local schools, he attended high school in Oregon, where he participated in football and track.